Anyone here traded a good-paying job for a lower-paying job back in their home country? I moved back to Switzerland after my dad passed away because my mum lives here, and financially it made a lot of sense. I can save a lot of money, my job pays well, and objectively my life is “stable.” But mentally, I just don’t feel like I fit into the culture here. Every day I wake up feeling like I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to go to my job, deal with customers, or even think about work. And the worst part is that I don’t think it’s really about the job itself anymore. It feels more like the environment I’m living in. Even if I had a “better” job, I think I would still feel this same emptiness. I feel trapped, like I’m living in a cage. If the environment around me felt right, I honestly think I could tolerate a less impressive job and still be happier overall. I’ve even talked to a psychologist, and while it helped in some ways, this lingering feeling that I’m simply not in the right place never really goes away. I’ve tried making friends and dating here, but I still feel lonely and disconnected. I miss home a lot. The thing is, I know what I’d be giving up if I left. I’m not talking about moving somewhere with extremely low salaries like Spain or Italy, but more to places like Germany, Denmark, or the Netherlands, countries where I’d probably earn and save less than in Switzerland, but maybe feel more alive or at peace mentally. For people who made a similar decision: Did earning less but living somewhere you actually wanted to be make you happier? Did it feel like a weight was lifted? Or did financial pressure eventually make things worse? Is financial freedom more important than mental health in the long run? And if you stayed and suffered through it, what has helped you to feel more connected to yourself? I feel like super empty here , mentally under stimulated, emotional connection and excitement is missing. Where I live, the streets are empty after 7 pm, the houses are quiet, there is no life and it feels very sterile to me but I also cannot afford to move to Zurich city center so I have to stay where I am for right now. Would really appreciate hearing honest experiences. submitted by /u/Proof-Yam-5877
Originally posted by u/Proof-Yam-5877 on r/Switzerland